A new survey released recently reveals that defense spending on class actions in the United States has increased for the tenth straight year and has reached a record-breaking all-time high of over $4.21 billion in 2024.
According to the Carlton Fields’ annual 2025 Class Action Survey, labor and employment claims continue to lead in percentage of cases filed, along with consumer fraud, data breach, securities and various federal and state statutory claims. There are more cases filed, against more defendants, leading to record-breaking defense spending in excess of $4.5 billion expected in 2025.
Interestingly, the survey finds that overall class action settlement rates are down for 2024, as are individual settlements. The survey attributes this trend to more aggressive litigation tactics, increasingly complex and higher-stakes claims, and an expanding caseload. The survey also notes that companies are relying more on a select group of litigators and in house counsel to navigate these claims to conclusion.
As companies face an expected increase of more than 20% in class action cases filed against them in 2025, the survey astutely notes that “the unwritten secret to beating a class action is a pragmatic approach to settlement.”
Companies that effectively engage in dispute resolution and pragmatically reach negotiated resolutions with trusted ADR professionals are best able to weather the spiraling costs of class action defense.
The select mediators and arbitrators at UWWM’s Center for National Class & Mass Actions have decades of specific experience in class and mass actions and are uniquely qualified to assist you in resolving these legal disputes. For further information and scheduling, please visit our website.